一、teach sb to do sth 的基本用法

teach sb to do sth 是大家都很熟悉的语法结构，其意为“教某人做某事”，如：

He promised to teach her to water-ski. 他答应教她滑水。      

You can teach some parrots to talk. 可以教某些鹦鹉说话。

We should teach the children to know good from bad. 我们应教育儿童分辨是非。

Parents ought to teach their children to behave themselves. 父母应教导子女举止得体。

He taught me to obey all commands without asking questions. 他教我毫无疑义地服从命令。

二、teach sb to do sth 的引申用法

teach sb to do sth 有时可用于引申义，表示惩罚某人以使其不再敢做某事。这样用时主要用于以下几个句式：

1. I’ll teach sb (not) to do sth

可根据情况译为：如果……我要让你有得瞧；你若……我就要教训你；如果你……我就要对你不客气。如：

I’ll teach you to call me a liar! 你说我说谎，我就要教训你!

I’ll teach you to call him names! 如果你辱骂他，我就要对你不客气了。

I’ll teach you to get smart with me. 你胆敢对我出口不逊，我要好好教训你。

Where’s Jimmy? I’ll teach him to disobey me. 吉米在哪？他胆敢不听我的话，我要好好教训教训他。

2. That’ll teach sb (not) to do sth

通常可译为：这就是给……做某事的教训；看……还（敢不敢）做不做某事。如：

That’ll teach you to be late! 这就是迟到给你的教训！

So Roger spent the night in a freezing garage, did he? That’ll teach him to go out without his house keys! 罗杰在冷冰冰的车库里过了一晚是吗？那就是他不带房门钥匙出去的教训。

So you lost all your money? That’ll teach you to gamble. 这么说，你把钱都输光了? 这就是赌博给你的教训。

He’s left her, has he? Ha! That’ll teach her to go chasing other women’s husbands! 他把她给甩了，是吗？哈哈！这看她今后还追不追别人的丈夫！

There. That’ll teach you to get smart with me. 怎么样，你胆敢对我出口不逊，现在尝到什么滋味了吧。

3. This’ll teach sb (not) to do sth

通常可译为：要让……尝尝做某事的后果；要给……以教训；要惩罚……做某事；好好教训……使其不敢做某事。如：

This will teach you not to shit on me. 我要让你尝尝告发我的后果。

This’ll teach him to put a frog in my bed. 他胆敢把青蛙放在我床上，我就要让叫他尝尝这样干的后果。

说明：This’ll teach sb (not) to do sth 与 That’ll teach you (not) to do sth 的区别是，前者主通常在进行惩罚之前用，后者则通常在进行惩罚之后用。

另外，有时若语境明确，可省略其后的不定式，其翻译也可采用以上类似的表达。如：

So you were ill after eating those green apples, were you? That’ll teach you. 这么说你是吃了那些生苹果才得病的，是吗？这就是给你的教训。